Mattresses for recumbent prophylaxis are designed to protect persons who are bed-ridden for a long period of time (recumbent) so as to minimize the possibility of them from developing bed sores by means of certain mechanisms which are specific to these mattresses. To accomplish this, it is particularly important to be able to guarantee a sufficiently long relief of tissue zones, which are being subjected to pressure, in recurrent time cycles to be able to preclude the formation of grievous pressure abscesses.
One example of a pneumatic turning mattress is disclosed in European A-0 094 594 which is designed to relieve pressure-compromised tissue zones in the case of patients who are recumbent. This mattress consists of two air chamber systems arranged adjacent to one another, but not communicating with one another. The two air chamber systems are connected with one another by a holding fillet. Each air chamber system incorporates a plurality of lamellar hollow bodies of polyethylene foil arranged adjacent to one another, in which the hollow bodies of each air chamber system are connected with one another by air passage slots. The two air chamber systems can be inflated alternately and thereafter the air can be released again. Thus, a patient lying on the mattress can be rotated passively around the patient's longitudinal axis from one side to the other side by alternately inflating and deflating the two air chamber systems. However such a mattress is not adaptable to individual requirements, which would be different for each patient, since at any moment only the entire air chamber system would be filled with air or can be emptied of air. Thus, partial areas of the air chamber system cannot be acted upon separately from the entire air chamber system.
Another pneumatic turning mattress is disclosed in German Utility Patent G 84 35 873.4 which consists of two air chamber systems not communicating with one another. Each air chamber system of this mattress includes a plurality of lamellar elements running transverse to the longitudinal axis of the mattress, communicating with one another, and each two adjacent lamellar elements are connected with one another by a fillet. The lamellar elements are connected through a hose system with a pump assembly, through which the elements can be acted upon with air. Suitably constructed press-fasteners have been suggested as means for connection of the elements with one another, by which the length of the mattress can be adapted to the individual structural conditions or situations.
A mattress composed of mat units is disclosed in German Utility Patent G 83 35 794. Each of the mat units of this mattress consists of an airtight bellows. The airtight bellows is provided with an air feed conduit and a valve for control of the air volume pumped into the bellows at one end, while an air discharge conduit with a valve controls the air volume flowing out of the bellows is provided at the other end of the bellows. The air volume found within the bellows is detected through a sensing device, such as a photoelectric sensor. On the surface of the bellows is a sensor for determination of the contact of the bellows with a body lying on it.
These prior mattresses or mattress-like arrangements have numerous drawbacks. For example, it has been shown that these prior art turning mattresses are very hard when they are inflated, so that the patient lying recumbent on such a mattress feels that it is uncomfortable after a relatively short time. In addition, the lamellar elements of some prior art mattresses are inclined at different points to form folds after being inflated, which leads to a remarkable negative effect on the patient's comfort. The shape of the prior art's lamellar elements also leads easily to undesirable formation of riffles or grooves, caused by the pressure of the body lying on the mattress. Therefore the body of a patient lying on the mattress frequently cannot be supported and provided relief to the degree required at the points required for support, for example on the shoulders. The prior art mattresses, which are composed of airtight bellows, are extraordinarily costly in construction, and thus are very expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Thus, there exists a need for a mattress which is relatively simple in construction and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. This invention addresses these needs in the prior art as well as other needs or problems that exist in the prior art.